Mr. Hazeltine did suggest that the next time she wished to help one of her neighbors it might be as well to count the cost, and her meek "Yes, Father," showed that she saw her mistake.
"I wonder what will happen next," said Carl one day, a week later, speaking from the depths of the wardrobe, where he was rummaging.
"Nothing, I hope," remarked Bess, who sat in the window with Louise, supervising a new mansion for the Carletons.
"Not even something nice?" asked her brother.
"Nothing really nice has happened since Aunt Zelie gave us our silver keys," said Louise. "There is the postman; I am going to see if he has anything for us," and putting aside her papers she ran downstairs.
She and the postman were great friends, and always had some merry words to exchange when they met.
"I treat you vell to-day," said the cheery Dutchman; "I bring you two letter."
"Thank you, but they aren"t for me. They are for my aunt. You must bring me one for myself."
"Dot is too bad, I vill haf one for you next time." He trotted off, and Louise carried the letters in and laid them on the library table, as Aunt Zelie was not at home, and then went back to her drawing. Just before dark Mrs. Howard came in, bringing Cousin Helen with her to spend the night. The children were delighted at this, for it meant a merry evening if n.o.body came to call. The one provoking thing about Cousin Helen was that she had so many friends.
Bess was charmed to discover that it was beginning to rain.
"Now we can sit around the fire after dinner and tell stories," she said, putting away her papers in an old checker-board.
Their cousin, like their aunt, was generally willing to do what the children wished, so they made a sociable group in the library after dinner.
"Let"s play something first," suggested Miss Hazeltine, taking possession of the sleepy-hollow chair.
""I Have a Thought,"" Aunt Zelie proposed; "little Helen likes that."
"I have a thought that rhymes with deep," announced Carl.
"Is it what Cousin Helen will do if she sits in that chair?" asked Bess.
"Thank you, miss, I am not such a sleepy-head as you think," said her cousin, with pretended indignation.
It was not till some one had a thought rhyming with "better" that Louise was reminded of the letters the postman left.
"There are two, Auntie," she said, bringing them; "one is from Father."
"Yes, just a note to say he will be at home to-morrow at three. I don"t know this writing," opening the other.
"Why, it is from Miss Lyons, Aunt Mary"s companion!" she exclaimed, looking at the signature.
"You are frowning, Aunt Zelie," remarked Carl.
"Don"t keep us in suspense, Zelie. Is there anything wrong?" asked her cousin.
"Nothing really serious. Aunt Mary fell and broke her ankle, and will have to stay in bed for several weeks; but the trouble is Miss Lyons"s brother is very ill and she has to go to him."
"So that is it? And she wants some one to take her place for a while, I suppose. I"d go in a minute if Father and Mother were not away."
"Of course you could not go, Helen. I am the one. Frank will be at home, and Sukey is here to take care of the children. I wish I had had this sooner; I must telegraph to Miss Lyons that I will take the nine o"clock train to-morrow."
While she was speaking the children were silent from astonishment, but a wail arose presently.
"Why can"t Aunt Mary take care of herself?"
"What shall we do without you?"
"Don"t go, _please_ don"t go!"
"Children, I must; think of poor Miss Lyons."
"If you put on such long faces when she is only going sixty miles away for a few weeks, what would you do if she should go away to live?"
asked Cousin Helen.
"But she never will do that, for she has promised," said Carl confidently.
Bess"s face suddenly brightened. "It will be helping, to let her go, won"t it?"
"I suppose so," sighed Louise, "but it is such a dreadful thing."
"Oh, no, not dreadful at all!" and Aunt Zelie laughed at the doleful faces. "You can help, all of you, by being cheerful. And think what nice letters you can write me!"
"What will the club do?" Carl demanded.
"Conduct itself with propriety, to be sure; and now I must pack my trunk."
"Think of your wishing that something would happen!" said Bess reproachfully to her brother as they went upstairs.
It was very forlorn next morning to say good-by, knowing that when they came from school Aunt Zelie would not be there; but they remembered their promise and tried to be cheerful. How the rest of the day pa.s.sed Bess told in a letter written that evening:
DEAR AUNT ZeLIE: You have been gone ten hours. Carl counted it up, and we miss you very much. Father has come home, so that is one comfort. He is reading the paper now. It was lonely at lunch with only us, but Nannie came over with a note from Miss Brown asking us to come and take five o"clock tea, Carie and all. We had a good time. Miss Brown told stories and showed us some funny old things that belonged to her aunt. There was some jewelry that Louise and I would like to have to play Queen Mary in. Carl liked an old "Pilgrim"s Progress" that was printed more than a hundred years ago, but Ikey said he would rather have a new one.
Carie was good as could be, and we had tea out of the little cups. We are grateful to Miss Brown. I think she was being a good neighbor, don"t you? Father says it is bedtime, so good-night, dear Aunt Zelie.
From your loving nieces,
BESS and LOUISE.
Several days later she received one from Carl:
DEAR AUNT ZeLIE: I have not written before because there was nothing of interest to tell you. We are getting on very well, though I think Joanna is too bossy, and mammy is nearly as bad.
But we have been pretty good on the whole. Cousin Helen was not going to let Aleck stay Friday night, for fear he would cut up, but Father said, "Nonsense!" so he came. We had a better time at the club than we expected. The boys were dreadfully sorry you were not there. Our screens are coming on finely, though Ikey pasted a dragon on upside-down. Will read the last chapter of "The Talisman" aloud while we worked. Then Father came up and was as jolly as could be. He advised us to read the "Life of Washington" next, and we decided to begin it next week. Father is coming up again if he can. The O.B.F.D. will meet next week, so we can"t have the club; I forgot. Some of us will write you about it. I hope Miss Lyons"s brother will soon be well and Aunt Mary too. Good-by,
Your devoted nephew,
WILLIAM CARLETON HAZELTINE.
A week or two later Aunt Zelie received two long letters in the same envelope, from her nieces: